Sacred Words: “Joy”

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Despair, Gospel of Matthew, Joy

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. (Matthew 28:8 NKJV)

I don’t think the reaction I had to this devotion in the book Pauses for Pentecost is quite what the author had in mind. You see, joy and I don’t always play well together. I’ll get back to that in a second.

We Christians have our own kind of jargon that we often use when we speak to each other. Oftentimes this jargon can be said in a well meaning manner, but can be the total opposite of what the person needs to hear. A couple of these little lines/quips make me want to throw myself through the nearest glass window. One of the worst offenders for me is the admonition: “Don’t let anyone steal your joy.” Even typing it is like running fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Kids, chalkboards are what we old dudes used before dry erase white boards. If your teacher got mad at you he or she would make you clean the erasers, and if you had to do that, you were going to have a bad time.

But back to the “stealing of joy.”

I have a degree in Psychology. I know that there are many perfectly legit reasons why a person would not feel joy. Clinical depression is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve suffered from depression, and let me tell you, I felt incapable of feeling joy. I also have a degree in Forensic Science. Once I stood in the emergency room of a hospital and took evidence photos of a woman who had been beaten to a pulp by her husband. It was pretty much the most horrible thing I have ever had to do. If someone had come into that room and told her “don’t let anyone steal your joy,” I would have shoved my camera down their throat myself.

Joy is a good, wonderful, sacred thing. However, we need to remember that not everyone is in the same place on their faith journey. We never know what valley someone might be crossing or what battle they might be fighting.

Which brings me back to my personal experience. As I mentioned earlier, I have suffered from depression. As recently as two or three years ago, I might have said that I don’t remember the last time I felt joy. Now since then I’ve received some wonderful treatment from a doctor who takes the time to listen to me, and perhaps more importantly I’ve been able to be honest with God about how I felt and experience some of the healing that only he can provide.

But I still struggle. In response to this word and devotion I found two main problems that I have with experiencing joy.

First, when I start to feel joy I start to also get a feeling back in the base of my skull that it’s not going to last. I’m constantly waiting for the other shoe to fall. I’m always wondering what the catch is. I’ve become so acquainted with disappointment, and I fear rejection so much that whenever I feel joy I pretty much expect it to be a short lived experience that will make me feel worse in the long run. Basically if joy is the mountaintop experience, I’m afraid of taking one step too many and falling off the sheer face into the valley below.

Kind of sad huh? But wait, there’s more!

Let’s say I can get past that. Let’s say I find something to be legitimately joyful about. Well, next up comes guilt. I start to think about other people suffering from depression. My mind goes back to that woman in the hospital room with injuries from domestic violence. Why should I get to be happy when so many other people are hurting? I’ve literally had people tell me that I’m entitled to be happy once in awhile too, but honestly, sometimes I don’t feel like I am.

Maybe you’re like me, for these or any other number of reasons. If you are, then what do we do about it? I don’t think that having a bunch of well meaning but kind of annoying people throw out platitudes like “Don’t let anyone steal your joy” is the answer.

But I do think that there are answers, and if not answers, then there are a couple of good places to start.

First off, if you feel like you might be suffering from severe depression, please, please, PLEASE SEEK HELP. When I say help I mean from a licensed health care professional. Sometimes we Christians think that if we just pray hard enough, talk to our pastors, and lose ourselves in scripture then the problem will be taken care of. But take it from me as someone who both believes in the power of God and is trained in mental health services, depression is a medical condition that should be treated as such. When I got my psychology degree my adviser knew I was working toward being a pastor. She drilled one thing into me: KNOW WHEN TO REFER TO A DOCTOR. God has given these folks talents and we should not be afraid of letting them help. It just might save your life.

Second, try to find someone you can talk to about how you feel, and be open to letting them minister to you. This takes a lot of trust, but I have a couple of really good friends that I can talk to and it helps a lot! Pastors and people from church are excellent for this!

Third, go to God and be honest. Maybe try dispensing with the formal prayer posture and language and just talk to Him like he’s right there next to you. Some of my best prayer experiences have come from moments like this, and I’d be willing to bet that God the Father loves it when his kids take time to have a good heart to heart with him.

Finally, when you do get a chance to feel joy (and you will), try to just let it in for a few moments. I KNOW how hard it is to let down your guard. I’ve FELT how vulnerable a person can be when we first step outside of the walls we’ve built. Keep in mind that is possible to feel both fear and joy, as the women did that first Easter morning. So try to dip your toe into the river of joy once in awhile, you might be pleasantly surprised!

Trust me, it can and does get better. I’m proof. I’m still imperfect and I still get scared and feel guilty sometimes, but Jesus is with me, and he is with you too. The author of Hebrews states that Jesus, our great high priest, has felt everything that we do and can identify with us. That is a source of great comfort, and even joy!

In the USA, the National Suicide Lifeline is:
1-800-273-8255
It is available 24/7. Please call if you need help.

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Museum or Triage Center?

Tags

Church, Gospel of Matthew

“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30 CEB).

I think that in my entire short and unremarkable preaching career I’ve had two, maybe three, lines or illustrations that have stuck with folks. Honestly, I’m thankful for that. When I get the opportunity to preach, I always pray that God’s message delivered through the imperfect medium of my brain and voice will touch at least one person. A wise man also once told me that every sermon I ever preached needed to point back to Jesus. He told me that 18 years ago and it still sticks with me.

So maybe I have two or three hits. However, there is one that people mention to me more than any other. Last year during one of my sermons I told those who were in attendance, and still awake, that the Church at it’s best is place for broken people. I went on to list several things that people struggle with, and after each one of those I said, “If you’re here and you’re struggling with that, you’re in the right place!” I did my best to paint church as a hospital where people who are hurt, struggling, suffering, in pain, and full of sorrow could come to the feet of the Master and find rest, but not only that, where other people who are part of the body of Christ can reach out to them (and each other) in very real ways to provide grace, love, and mercy. About a month or two ago one of the ladies in the church said that when she heard that sermon her family was church shopping, but when she heard those words she knew that she wanted to stay because she was “in the right place.”

That totally knocked me over that someone who doesn’t even know me all that well would remember that a year plus later. But I’m not mentioning that to give myself a pat on the back. After all, that wasn’t an original idea by me, it was inspired by author Rachel Held Evans and her wonderful book “Searching For Sunday,” which I suggested that the people there that day read. I suggest that you consider reading it too. Anyway, I don’t mention it to prove my preaching prowess, I mention it because I absolutely believe it.

This was brought home to me again yesterday. I was attending a district gathering of United Methodists from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. We had over 1,000 United Methodists gathered at 15 locations around those 4 states listening to an excellent keystone address by Rev. Christian Peele of the Riverside Church in New York and a sermon plus worship led by our very own Bishop Karen Oliveto. It was the first time I’d had a chance to hear Bishop Oliveto preach, and boy, I’ll tell you what I’m not on the same planet or even in the same universe as she is! She was all at once inspirational, moving, and thought provoking. I know there are a lot of folks out there who think women have no business preaching, but man, you’re missing out!

Bishop Karen asked a couple of very good questions about our churches, and one hit me right in the heart. She asked if our churches were museums or triage centers. I’d ask you to think about that question and how it might apply to your particular church before you read further.

Why would she suggest that some of our churches were more like museums? Well, far be it from me to put words in her mouth, but this is how I thought about it. Have you ever been in one of those old, stuffy museums? You walk in and you immediately notice the stillness of the air. You walk around the place and look at these old, sometimes priceless, artifacts that are encased in glass with big signs that say DO NOT TOUCH. There’s also often some burly security guard types who are hanging out and making sure nothing gets too wild or nobody gets too close.

Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE museums. I’m a history buff. They have their place and are certainly useful in their context. I’ve been in many museums and have been in awe of the fact that I’m standing in the presence of history. Our churches can be like that in some ways as well. I’m a traditionalist as far as worship goes. I love to be able to walk into a quiet church building and feel the presence of God and kneel in awe. It’s special to me, but I don’t think our churches can, nor were they meant to stop there.

What happens if an ordinary person, or someone who might really be hurting, walks into a church that stops there? Everything is quiet. They’re afraid to touch anything or make too big a noise because they might disrupt something. Our beliefs, and often our Gospel, are encased behind glass labeled DO NOT TOUCH. They are there to be revered, but not often are they interacted with. Our churches often have our own “security guard” types too. These are the people who cast the evil eye on someone who has a crying baby, someone who brings a thermos of coffee into the Sanctuary, somebody who comes in not dressed as we would like, or God forbid, a newcomer who sits in the deacon’s favorite pew.

Is that a church that hurting people want to come back to? No, I don’t think so. However, I think a lot of our churches are like that sometimes. My church can be like that sometimes. In his new book, “Becoming a Welcoming Church,” author Thom Rainer suggests that most churches think they are a friendly church, but often when given a chance to give feedback visitors often say that they are not.

Now this isn’t another liberal, hippy, left leaning, progressive hit piece on the Church. I love the Church. I love my Church. We are certainly not perfect. We are the Body of Christ that is composed of human beings with different motives, agendas, thoughts, emotions, styles, and views. Yet isn’t it remarkable that Christ still uses us to do his work in the world?

I want to imagine where Church might go from here. I want to think about the challenges that we face. I want to think about how the Church can bring Christ’s model of amazing grace and unfailing love to a world that so desperately needs it.

That’s where I come back to the church as a hospital, a place for broken people to come and be healed. A place where people can experience what Jesus mentions in the verse above, where they can find rest from their worries and burdens. This is kind of where I think Bishop Karen was coming from when she talked about church as a triage center.

In college I had a professor who worked as a first responder to various disasters. He was there in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the tsunami of 2004, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He talked a lot about what triage was like. In addition, one of my favorite subjects to read about is military history. Recently I’ve been reading a lot about World War I. The descriptions of what we would call triage type areas in the immediate vicinity of battles are mind numbing. When I read them I picture a hellscape that I’m not sure how anybody could endure.

What might you see, hear, and smell in a triage area? I have a few friends who are nurses who have painted some pretty vivid pictures. There’s often a lot of injured people (which is why they need triage). Everywhere you look there are people who need help from various types of injuries and other people who are doing their best to help them.

Triage areas can be messy, They are noisy. They are bloody. They are chaotic. Sometimes the conditions can be so difficult that even the healers themselves experience trauma.

Why on earth would anyone want to go to a church like that?

I’ll tell you why. Because that’s where the need is. That’s where there is healing to be done. That’s where people come when they are seriously wounded and have nowhere else to go. That’s where the love and grace of Jesus are at their most potent.

I don’t know that I would paint the current state of our world as a mass casualty incident (at least not yet). But people are hurting. People are struggling. Despite all the advances in our modern world we have yet to eradicate the forces that do some of the worst damage to God’s children: hate, anger, vitriol, judgment, and of course FEAR.

In our world today our cell phones, our newscasts, and our social media keep these forces in people’s faces at all times. Various parties and organizations have realized in the the 2010’s one of the most effective ways to get people on your side is to inspire fear. Now that’s not a new tactic, but it’s something that has been honed and refined with our modern communications technology.

People are afraid. People are lost. People are angry. People are weary of existing in a constant state of being “woke.” I also think that people are getting tired of being constantly told that people who don’t agree with them 100% are their enemy. It’s easy to paint life as a battlefield when people are obsessed with “the enemy” being behind every tree or around every corner.

And I think that’s where the church can really shine. If we are open to being authentic, to being vulnerable, to truly loving the same people that Christ loved, and to retiring just a few of our museum pieces, our churches can be that space where people can step away from all that is going on in the world and be healed. Then they can in turn help heal others.

It’s going to be messy. It’s going to be chaotic. We’re not going to win every battle. We’re not going to be able to take everyone’s pain away. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying, from pulling the Gospel of Jesus Christ out from behind the glass case and infusing it back into people’s lives and the life of our world.

Just imagine what we could do!

On a final note I want to talk to people who have gone to a church seeking that healing and that community and have come away wounded even more deeply. I know you’re out there. I’ve been where you are. Fortunately I found a church where yes, we do have some museum tendencies, but where people were ultimately willing to accept me for who I was and experience the love of God anew through them. I would encourage you to keep trying. There are people out there who care for you.

If you’re not in that place where you can do that, that’s ok too. Maybe start here: God loves you more than you could ever imagine and I promise you that there is nothing you can do to change his mind. There is no wound too deep for him to heal. Hold that in your heart and in your head and seek him. If you need help, reach out to someone around you. People care about you. I care about you.

God loves you, and there’s nothing you can do about it!

Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth? (Advent Week 1)

Tags

Adam Hamilton, Advent, Gospel of Matthew

When he came to his hometown, he taught the people in their synagogue. They were surprised and said, “Where did he get this wisdom? Where did he get the power to work miracles? Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? Aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? And his sisters, aren’t they here with us? Where did this man get all this?” (Matthew 13: 54-56 CEB)

For our Adult Sunday School Advent study this year, we’re working through Adam Hamilton’s new book, “Faithful: Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph.” When we Christians think about the Christmas story, obviously we first think of Jesus. After that we probably think of Mary, especially our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Church. Then we probably think about shepherds, angels, wise men and such, but what about Joseph? Where does he fit into all of this?

Admittedly the New Testament doesn’t give us much to go on at all. There is not a single line of Holy Scripture attributed to Joseph! Luke mentions that Joseph is still around when Jesus is separated from his parents at age 12, staying in the temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2: 41-51), but again it is Mary that asks the young Jesus why he stayed behind and worried his parents half to death.

After that, Joseph pretty much disappears. The Synoptic Gospels all have some version of the scene which I quoted above, though only Luke mentions Joseph by name in this scene (Luke 4) and Mark just says that Jesus is “Mary’s Son” (Mark 6). The Gospel of John mentions Joseph by name in a similar incident in John 6: 41-51. That’s it! Everything else is either church tradition or apocryphal in nature.

What the Bible does tell us is that Joseph was a carpenter. As a skilled worker, it’s likely that Joseph would have had some means. However, as Adam Hamilton points out in his book, the Greek word that is used to refer to Joseph is tekton, not the word architekton which would have designated him as master carpenter or master builder. In all likelihood Joseph was just simple carpenter building things like doors and furniture, not someone in charge of  a large shop or other workers.

Which brings us back to the scripture I quoted above. In this scene Jesus is teaching in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. The people are impressed with his wisdom, but they’re not sure how he came by it. The question is asked, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” Can you hear the slight intended there, the incredulity of the people? “Who is this guy anyway?”

But I want to ask you, can you blame them? I don’t think I can. I kind of thought about what it might be like if somebody that I went to high school with ended up being President. With a very few exceptions, I think I’d probably look on them with same kind of incredulity: “Really? HIM, or HER?” There might even be a hint of jealousy there! At any rate, I would certainly forgive anyone who asked the question “Can anything good come of out of Northridge High in Layton, Utah?”

And that is the same question that is asked about Jesus. It is the question posed in John 1 by Nathanael to Philip when Philip tells him that he has found the one spoken of by the prophets. Philip says that this special man is Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph. Nathanael (who is likely the apostle Bartholomew mentioned in the synoptics) asks Philip point blank: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Think of it this way.  If you ruled the universe and formed it with your very words, if you had that kind of power at your disposal, and you decided to come to Earth and walk around in human skin for a bit, how would you go about it? If you wanted to have a quick impact and have everybody notice you, you’d probably want to show up as the child of a king or emperor. Or you’d want to be born to a noble family, maybe even as a relation to a mighty warrior!

Do I think any of you who read this would choose to be born to a teenage girl and her simple carpenter of a husband in a manger, in the middle of some poor animal’s dinner? Nope. Fat chance.

Yet that’s how it happened. Try to wrap your mind around it. The incarnation-God himself becoming human-takes place in an animal stall to two people of no note or significance, to a woman who was shown to be with child before she was properly married.

It still blows my mind to think about it, and to me, that’s what makes the story ring true. I would never have expected it to go down like that.

Then I stop and think about so many Christians in our world today, particularly in the USA. If Jesus were to show up in those kind of circumstances today, would any of us even notice? I doubt it. What if Jesus’ parents looked like this:

If you can’t picture that happening, then I respectfully ask that you go back and read the Christmas story, because I’m not sure you get it. This is entirely possible, and this would be just as scandalous in our world today as Mary and Joseph were back then, maybe even more so. Heck, I can imagine that if Joseph and Mary (or Jose y Maria) looked like that today, a lot of American Christians would want them run out on the rails. What does that say about us?

Yes, it would be scandalous, but Jesus is scandalous. He showed up in an unexpected way, did unexpected things, and turned society on it’s head, elevating the poor over the rich and the last over the first. As someone on Twitter recently said: “Jesus said it was extremely difficult, near impossible, for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God, and the Church has spent the last 2,000 years trying to explain why he didn’t mean it.”

What if he did? What if we’re just as bad at missing God in the poor and humble as people were 2,000 years ago? They missed him then, and I think we are in danger of missing him now.

The first Sunday of Advent, and the candle we light, traditionally represents Hope. You know what else is scandalous? In this day and age when hate abounds, when the night seems as dark as it’s ever been for many of us, the scriptures, our identity story, ask us to place our hope, all of our hope and all of our dreams, in the baby born in that manger 2,000 years ago. We are asked to wait patiently, but to wait ACTIVELY for him to return, and we hope that when he does, he will restore God’s Shalom on Earth as it is heaven. In the meantime, we’re supposed to help make that happen by serving God in the form of the poor, the sick, the diseased, the dying, the orphan, the widow, the homeless, the people without health insurance, the immigrants, and even our enemies.

As scandalous as that might be, it is what I believe, and it is where I place my hope.

In the Carpenter’s son from Nazareth.

It’s a Jesus Thing

Tags

Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Matthew, Issues

“Then the King will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.'” (Matthew 25: 40 CEB).

Have you read your Bible lately? Have you read one of the Gospels lately? I’m honestly curious about this. As Christians, we all have some kind of belief that the Bible is the word of God. Some of us believe that it was literally dictated to the human authors, some of us believe that it was an inspired work of human hands, but we’re all supposed to take it pretty seriously, right? Then when we read the actual words of Jesus, we’re REALLY supposed to sit up and take notice.

I’m just wondering because it seems like the Bible has a lot to say about some of the current things that are going on in the United States. I’m actually pretty proud of the way most Christians have taken a stand on one issue, and not so much the other.

Recently the President announced his decision to end an Obama-era rule that allowed people who were brought to the USA illegally as children to stay under certain circumstances. These kids are collectively known as “dreamers.” Let’s be clear about this. These people did not choose to come here in the fashion in which they did. Many of them came at such young ages that they have no knowledge of their native country. I picture them a lot like my sister, who we adopted from India at age 7. She likes Indian food, but she really has no recollection of Indian culture. Several years ago she went to India to visit her native country. It didn’t really click for her. She’s an American, she has been for nearly 30 years.

The Bible is of course pretty clear on how immigrants should be treated, from Leviticus 19:34:

Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt.

This command is repeated several times in the Old Testament and echoes through the New Testament as well. The statement isn’t qualified either. It doesn’t say that you only act this way if….followed by conditions. You just do it. The oppression that Israel suffered in Egypt was so grave that this command became, and still is, a part of Jewish identity. Few peoples have suffered like the Jews in our history, yet they continue to practice this command today.

Many Christians do too. I was actually heartened by the response of the vast majority of the Christian community on this. Many different churches and religious leaders spoke up against this and said that we need to make a law that allows these young men and women to stay. It’s helping, too. This last Sunday at church we received a very good report from some faith leaders who met with some of our congressional delegation who said that they believe there is enough momentum on both sides of aisle in Washington to fix this. I hope that it’s true. Then I hope that it can lead to comprehensive immigration reform.

But then there’s this other issue. Senator Bernie Sanders is introducing a single payer healthcare bill into the US Senate. Now I don’t hold out hope for this, but so many people need it. This isn’t an issue of being able to afford it either. This country is the richest country ever to grace the face of the earth. We can afford it. Maybe we build a few less bombs. Maybe we realign our budget priorities a bit.

This was definitely a priority for Jesus. I was skimming the opening chapters of Mark’s gospel before I started writing this and it’s just chuck full of stories of Jesus healing people. It was one of the bedrocks of his ministry. He rejected the way the world values the lives of sick people and poor people and put them and their needs first. As my pastor says: “If you take the priorities of the world and turn them totally upside down, you end up with something that’s a lot closer to the priorities of Jesus and His Kingdom.”

However, many in the Christian community have not gotten behind this at all. I’m not sure why. Jesus seems pretty clear on this. Some will inevitably say that “Jesus would never direct us to give up what we’ve earned to poor people!” Well, I think the rich young ruler might disagree (Mark 10: 17-31). When Jesus directs the rich man to do just that, the Scripture says:

But the man was dismayed at this statement and went away saddened, because he had many possessions.

I think a lot of us are in that place. We have been so blessed with abundance that we can’t see beyond it. I know I can be that way. Even though we may not be wealthy by American standards, we’re really wealthy by the standard of the rest of the world, thus I believe that these words of Jesus are directed at us as well:

Looking around, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘It will be very hard for the wealthy to enter God’s Kingdom!’

Yet not all Christians ignore this edict. This is why I am proud to be a United Methodist. We certainly have our own issues, but I love the position the church puts forth on this issue. From The Book of Discipline, 2016 edition, in the Social Principles (Paragraph 162 V)

We believe it is a governmental responsibility to provide all citizens with health care. We encourage hospitals, physicians, and medical clinics to provide primary health care to all people regardless of their health care coverage or their ability to pay for treatment.

Sounds like a good, Christian statement, and I support it 100%.  I don’t support it because I’m a democrat, though I am. I don’t support it because I want to stick it to the rich folks. I don’t support it because it would be a “victory” for my “side,” I support it because it will do the most good for the most people. I also support it because I try to follow the example set before me by the Son of the Living God.

So you see, neither of these issues are a political thing for me.

They’re a Jesus thing.

Hate Has No Place

Tags

Gospel of Matthew, News, Racism

I’ve been on kind of an unintended hiatus from the blog lately for a few reasons. First off, my mom has been in and out of the hospital, and while she is definitely doing better, there’s been a lot of doctor’s appointments and other things she’s needed help with. Secondly, I’ve been working through the material I need to go through for the local pastor program in the United Methodist Church, which is extensive.  Finally I’ve been doing some reading and research for a Sunday School class I’m teaching this Fall, and all of this in the scant free time I have after coming home from my full time job. Needless to say, there hasn’t been a ton of time left over for the blog, which I have missed a lot.

I’ll get back to the “Great Hell Smackdown of 2017.” I still have at least three entries I want to do in that series, but I had to take the time to talk about what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia yesterday. If you somehow haven’t heard, here’s what happened.

A large group of Nazis decided to gather in Charlottesville, ostensibly to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. I’m not going to legitimize them by calling them something like “white activists,” “alt right,” or even “white supremacists.” They’re Nazis, pure and simple. Friday night they held a large torch bearing rally at the University of Virginia. Once you got past the absurdity of using tiki torches in such a fashion, you realize the only things missing were swastikas, the SS banners, and a stand in for Hitler:

Do you still think they’re not Nazis? I mean yeah, the tiki torches kind of take away from the intimidation factor, but yup, they’re definitely Nazis. Anyway, I guess the Citronella finally ran out and the Nazis reconvened Saturday morning having exchanged the tiki torches for riot shields, SS banners, Swastika flags, and of course, the Confederate battle flag, which people constantly tell me stands for heritage not hate but keeps popping up alongside Swastikas and SS Banners, so whatever.

Saturday morning the Nazis were met by counter protestors. In the crowd were a few folks from the left wing antifascist group Antifa, and some fights broke out between some of these folks and the Nazis. Now look, I don’t care for Antifa’s methods, trying to incite violence is never the right way to go, but hey, at least they’re not Nazis. Also amongst the counter protestors were members of Black Lives Matter, several clergy men and women, students from UVA, and just everyday people who didn’t want to see hate flower in their community.

After a couple of tense hours the police finally managed to separate both sides and things seemed to simmer down a little. However, early in the afternoon a young man with a  heart full of hate and malice drove his car directly into the crowd of counter protestors. He injured several people and killed 32 year old Heather Heyer, a paralegal who was in the crowd.

I’m not going to post the name or the picture of the Nazi that killed her. He doesn’t deserve any more fame than he’s already gotten. This young woman’s life was cut short by hate, the same hate that has become almost mainstream since the last election. Certain political forces in our country decided to stoke the fear and the hate of White Nationalism in order to win the election, and now it’s becoming clear that they’ve opened Pandora’s box and enabled hate and vitriol to claim more innocent lives.

This isn’t about “Southern Heritage.” That’s just an excuse people use in order to mainstream their message of hate. Trust me, I’m up there with the biggest Civil War Buffs of them all. I’ve been to the battlefields, I’ve read the books. This stopped being about “Southern Heritage” a long time ago. We had a war about it. A lot of people died, and the outcome was decisive. Time to move on. We also had a war with Nazis. A lot of people died. The Nazis exterminated millions of people just because of their ethnicity. In the end, the big bad Fuhrer that these guys idolize so much sat huddled away in his bunker next to his girl and took his own life like the coward he was. The outcome was decisive.

The Confederacy and the system of human bondage it stood for lost.
The Third Reich and the system of dehumanizing hate it stood for lost.
Hate will lose in the end.

Right?

I don’t know anymore.

I have a confession to make. I sat this afternoon and looked at the picture of the man who killed Ms. Heyer and I hated him. It was more than righteous anger, I hated him with every fiber of my being. I wanted vengeance to be visited on him for what he did.

And I realized in that moment that I was no better than he was. I realized in that moment that I had betrayed the promises I have made as a Christian. Hate has no place among the followers of Christ. Jesus himself said:

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who harass you.” (Matthew 5:44).

But surely he doesn’t mean that we are supposed to reach out in love to these Nazis, right? Yes I’m afraid that’s exactly what he means. That’s the entire point of this part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is prescribing a different way. The way of the world is to meet force with force, violence with violence, hate with hate, and anger with anger. We humans have been doing that throughout our entire existence, and it never seems to stop, it never seems to solve the problem.

Jesus is asking us to try something different, to try to stand up with subversive love. This is not meant to be weakness. Any old person can respond to anger with anger. It takes true strength to respond in love despite the actions of the other party. That doesn’t mean that you condone what they did. It doesn’t mean that you don’t stand up for the weak and the oppressed. What it means is that when it comes time to put your money where your mouth is that you respond with love, grace, and forgiveness and try to break the cycle of hate.

Look, violence and hate will never produce lasting change. Folks like Antifa spraying raw sewage on Nazis isn’t going to change anybody. It just entrenches people in their own positions.

Only love, deep sacrificial love can change people. Jesus showed us that. Dr. King showed us that. Many people involved in the civil rights movement were badly injured or went to their death to show us that.

Heather Heyer shows us that.

Hate has no place. It doesn’t matter if it’s the hate of the Nazis or the hate directed to them. It is the people of love and grace who will triumph. Will you join me in working on that? Will you open your heart and mind to the Spirit to be directed on that path? Will we all have the strength it takes to be peacemakers?

Tonight I pray for all those in Charlottesville who have had their community up ended. I pray for those who are victims of hate and oppression. I pray for the family and friends of Heather Heyer. I pray for those who were injured. I also pray for those who harbor hate in their heart, that God can break the hearts of stone and show them a better way.

I pray for all of us.

So be it.

 

Maundy Thursday: A Juxtaposition

Tags

Gospel of John, Gospel of Matthew, Maundy Thursday

I had something I was originally going to put in this space. It wasn’t my best work, but it was pretty good, as far as I’m concerned. Maybe you’ll get to read it next year.

Instead, I’m going to show you two images from today.

One is something referred to as the “Mother of All Bombs.” It was dropped on some people who did bad things.  The Empire rejoices in it’s raw power to inflict pain, but it leads to nothing but fire and death.

“Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” (Matt 26:52)

 

The other is of a gentle old man, who holds a position of great power, washing the feet of prisoners, some people who did bad things. The Empire scoffs and calls him a fool, but only his example has the power to transform hearts and lives.

“A new commandment I give to you. Love one another as I have loved you. (John 13:34)

Fire and death, or love and transformation? No person can serve two masters.

Speaking of The Master, He is anguished almost to the point of death, and walking into Gethsemane in the dark, alone.

Can you stay awake and keep watch?

Or will you fall asleep and be taken by surprise at the arrival of The Betrayer?

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is week indeed.

…..to be continued……

 

 

I’m At A Bit of A Loss Right Now.

Tags

Fear, Gospel of Matthew, Islam, News, Refugees

“Then shall he answer them, saying, ‘Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.’ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25: 45-46 KJV)

I’m in a bit of an uncomfortable place right now. If you’re a regular reader, then you might notice two things right away. One, I haven’t posted in a few weeks. Two, I used the King James Version for the scripture, which I don’t think I’ve ever done. I’ve used the NKJV a couple of times, but not Ye Olde King James.

Why? Well, I wanted to preserve the real wrath of God feel that the King James language brings out so well. Now, if you know me, you know that’s not like me at all. I’m a Methodist for heaven sake, we don’t usually do wrath and the like. Well, I’m one angry, discontent, utterly disappointed Methodist. I am so mad that I SKIPPED COFFEE AT CHURCH TODAY! WUT?!

But why? Well, that’s part of the reason behind why haven’t posted much lately. It’s partly because I have a new position at work with more hours (yay!) and partly because I’ve been so upset and disappointed that I haven’t really known what to say. That’s come to a head the last couple of days.

In his infinite “wisdom” our new president has decided to issue a “temporary” ban on refugees and visas from certain predominantly Muslim countries. In doing so he has slammed the door in the faces of some of the most vulnerable people in the world right now. These are people who need our help. It would be bad enough if it were just Trump and his cronies going off, but many Christians, including some that label themselves as leaders, have just released lukewarm statements about it, stayed silent about it, or some have even come out in support of it!  This includes some of what went on at my own church today. We look at ourselves as wonderful because we’re doing a Sunday School class that’s trying to start a dialogue on race issues. We pat ourselves on the back for that. We go serve food at the homeless shelter, and we pat ourselves on the back for that too.

Yet what was said about this clearly unbiblical, antichristian action by the president? A few mealy-mouthed statements about how “we have to love everybody” and “we are all God’s children,” and how we “need to come to a compromise.”

Compromise? COMPROMISE? People are DYING. Parents are being separated from their young children! Meanwhile we set around and try pick our words carefully so we don’t offend anybody?

That’s why the picture I used here caught my eye, “DID I STUTTER?”

UGH.

Hey look, I get it. When you have a big congregation you have to remember that people have differing opinions. I get it, there’s a certain balancing act that has to go on, a certain politic that sometimes needs to be played.

But this….Jesus himself seems pretty clear about this. Jesus commands us, his followers, to see Himself in the sick, the dying, the naked, the hungry, and the stranger. He also said if we love him, we will keep his commands (John 14:15). He doesn’t seem to have much time for lukewarm folks (ask the Church in Laodicea).

This is wrong. This is exactly the opposite of the teachings of Jesus. You know it. I know it. Folks like Franklin Graham know it. So what exactly is the elephant in the room here?

Some of us, many of us, don’t feel safe. People who feel that the president’s actions are warranted do not feel safe. I can understand that. Maybe some people don’t speak out because they feel that if they do they won’t be safe. I get that too. Fear is a powerful motivator. I’m not really trying to fault anyone for feeling that way. We live in a big, complicated, scary world and we’re constantly being bombarded with “news” that just confirms our worst fears. As I write this tonight there is word of a mosque in Quebec City that has been attacked by gunmen with multiple fatalities. Things like this are legitimate news, and they can instill fear. However, much of it is propaganda trying to convince you that you won’t be safe unless you vote a certain way, give money to a certain cause, or repost somebody’s status on Facebook.

Has fear gotten to us as Christians? I think it has. I’ve been afraid. For the better part of the last month I’ve thrown myself into my new job, buried my head in the sand, and just hoped that it would either all go away or maybe not be as bad as people have been thinking.

But it all hasn’t gone away, and yes, it’s that bad.

And if I’m afraid, how would a Muslim living here right now feel? I’d be scared to death. Heck, I’m a straight, white, Christian male! I’m top of the food chain with these Trump folks. But I’m afraid, it’s scary. Tonight I was discussing this with my mom. I mentioned that with all this serious, scary stuff going on that it seemed almost trivial to go read a book, watch a movie, or play a game (one of my hobbies). I asked her if things were that tense in the Civil Rights era and during the Vietnam era. She said yes, they were. Every week in the newspaper you looked to see who had died and who’s draft number had come up. I was born in the late 70s, I missed all that. I don’t even recall being afraid on 9/11. This is a new feeling to me.

So again, I try to take the example of Jesus. I believe Jesus felt fear. Since he was fully human as well as fully divine, he had to. I picture him in Gethsemane being paralyzed so much with fear and so anguished that he sweat drops of blood.

But he did what he had to do. He did it as an example to us. He did it to show us how much he loves us and how much he wants us to love each other.

Is there room in the theology of the Crucified One, broken for our sin and salvation, for the politics of fear? No, I do not believe there is. Christ’s commands are clear. The president is wrong.

Doing something about it is going to be a big scary task, and I admit that outside of contacting my representatives (which I have done) I’m not sure what to do. I do believe, however, that Jesus is calling both you and me to set aside our fear and do more. May he give us the grace and fortitude to do just that.

My prayers are with refugees everywhere, particularly the ones affected by the president’s order. Tonight I also mourn with those who were injured or lost loved ones in Quebec City.

Where Are The Heroes Now?

Tags

Gospel of Matthew, Issues, News, Refugees

I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25: 43-46 NRSV)

I wasn’t going to post tonight, or well hey, this morning now, but this has just been gnawing at me all day. In fact, I’ve gone back and forth between being bitterly angry and just feeling utter sadness and despair. If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you know that a Muslim man planted a couple of pressure cooker bombs in New York over the weekend. One of them detonated and injured 20 some people. Luckily, nobody was killed and law enforcement was able to take the man into custody Monday morning after a shootout.

Well, one of our political candidates has decided to try to turn this all to his advantage. You know who I mean. Donald Trump Jr posted this, uh, rather hateful and scare mongering image to social media last night:

Just when I thought that the Trump campaign couldn’t get any more repulsive, they prove me wrong yet again. Let’s take a look at the logic behind this image for a minute. What if Hillary Clinton had posted the same image but switched “Syrian refugee problem” to “Gun owner problem?” What if someone involved with Black Lives Matter put out the same image and switched it to “police officer problem?” I mean, hey, another video surfaced today of a police officer in Oklahoma executing an unarmed black man who had his hands up.  If either of those other circumstances were used, applying the same logic, you’d be able to hear the howl from conservative America all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.

We’d hear things like:
“By far most gun owners are responsible, law abiding citizens.”
“By far most police officers are good people who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.”

Now, I believe both of those statements to be true. Here’s something else that’s true:
“By far most Syrian refugees are good, hard working people who are just trying to save their lives and the lives of their families by fleeing war, terror, and oppression.”

So why don’t they get the same benefit of the doubt that gun owners and police officers do?

The answer is because of fear. We are afraid. Our politicians, particularly, but not limited to, the Republican Party, have a vested interest in making sure we stay afraid. It’s basically a protection racket, except instead of money paid for “protection” the currency we pay is our votes. “Vote for Trump. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll beat ISIS. Trust me.”

I thought we were the “land of the free and the home of the brave?” I mean come on, we got together with our allies and we took down Hitler’s Nazis after they had pretty much conquered mainland Europe. We were the first to put people on the moon. During World War II our entire nation mobilized and quickly ramped up to provide not only soldiers, but to bring all of our resources to bear against those who threatened us. But now, now what are we afraid of?

Really?

It’s absolutely sickening and heartbreaking that so many Americans would keep these people in the cold out of fear. Seems pretty cowardly. Seems downright unamerican. I guess we should close down the Statue of Liberty.

And many of the folks who are scared and screaming about this call themselves Christians. Now if you think that Donald, “Two Corinthians” Trump is a Christian, then I have some oceanfront property in Southern Utah to sell you. But I’m not talking about him. He’s playing the fiddle of fear and people are dancing to his tune like puppets on a string. I’m talking about those of us who sit snug in our pews every Sunday, recite the creeds, read the Bible, and talk about how much we love Jesus.

Well, look at the verses above from Matthew. Jesus has no time for anyone who will not give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, a roof to a stranger, clothing to the naked, or care to the sick or prisoner.  A couple of verses before that he tells those that didn’t do those things to “depart into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Hmm, that doesn’t sound like these are mere suggestions or only things that super Christians are supposed to do.

In the face of all this anger, all of this hate, all of this fear, where are the heroes? Where are the Mother Theresas, the Martin Luther King Jrs, the Dietrich Bonhoeffers? Where are the Christians that will stand up for these people instead of being content to be chaplains to our corrupt sociopolitical system?

Let me put it this way: If you’re a Christian and you castigate and refuse to help these people, then I don’t want to hear anymore about your “faith.” It seems like you don’t have much of a clue about what Jesus taught. Welcoming the stranger is a fundamental principle of both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

It is said that we should “be the change we want to see.” I’m going to start with a long, pleading prayer to God both for these poor people and for us. Then I’m going to cast my vote a certain way, but I’m also going to look into some concrete ways to help and advocate for these people. I hope you can move past the fear and join me. If I find anything concrete that we can do, you’ll see it here on the blog.

God bless, and God bless and comfort these refugees as He comforted the Holy Family when they fled to Egypt.

Faith Tracks: Petra–“Whole World”

Tags

Christian Music, Gospel of Matthew

Sometimes inspiration, and even comfort, hit you….when you’re putting away laundry. That’s what happened to me this afternoon. I was hanging up my work shirts and listening to a Spotify playlist I made of my favorite Petra songs. That’s right, Petra, the 80s-90s Christian rock LEGENDS.

Toward the end of the playlist, this song, “Whole World” from the 1986 album “Back to the Street” came on. I’ve loved the song, and the album, for years. It brings me back to my childhood when my entire family was so into Petra that we even got to meet and hang out with John Lawry.  Ah the good old days, when Petra was the soundtrack to every single family road trip. I still have most of their songs memorized (at least everything up to “Beyond Belief”). Oh and yes, I get that the image I posted is from an Andy Stanley thing, but hey, Petra had it in ’86, yo.

Anyway, the song hit me today as soon as it started blaring through my speakers. There is so much crap going on in the world today. I leave my cell phone on all night because a couple of my most precious friends know that they can call me 24/7, but usually I just get hit with news notifications from different services. This morning it went off and when I looked at it, I saw that some ISIL types had attacked a church in France and murdered a Priest while he said mass.

Jeez.

We’re reading and hearing about this kind of stuff on a daily basis. It’s not just about ISIL and terrorism either. The presence of Twitter, Facebook, and the 24 hour news media cycle make it seem like every little thing going wrong in the world is happening right on our doorstep. Maybe it’s police shootings. Maybe it’s people killing police. Maybe it’s the dire environmental news about things like climate change or other natural disasters. Maybe it’s bad economic news about food shortages and the lack of clean water in many places. Heck, if you haven’t been listening to the fear mongering that’s been taking place in the presidential election, you must be living under a rock. Last week a senator from Iowa attempted to scare the pants off everyone by going on for the RNC in Cleveland and basically talking about how ISIL is going to pop up in your living room like a Pokemon if you don’t vote for Trump. Similarly, the Democrats are peddling a narrative that the election of Donald Trump will bring civilization crashing down.

Are there legitimate things to worry about? Sure, and we shouldn’t be complacent, but the fear, the worry, is tearing us apart. In Matthew 6:27, Jesus point blank asks “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (ESV). We all know that taking that verse to heart is easier said than done, but I earnestly believe that Christ is in control, and hearing this song by Petra this afternoon drove it home.

Now I’m not one of those guys that think that God ordains all these bad things to happen. Nor do I think he’s up there with us all on strings like puppets. We have free will, and our choices have created the world we’re in. But this I know: ISIL will not stop God’s ultimate will. Neither will Trump, Clinton, the Brexit, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or anything else. Only He knows when and how this ends, and it will happen according to his timetable, nobody else’s. In the meantime, we’re here to make this world a better place and bring his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Even if I am destroyed in the process, I have a crown of life waiting and a Savior to welcome me, and hopefully he’ll say “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Until then, remember this when you hear the bad news cascading down: “He’s still got the whole world in his hands.”

Petra: “Whole World
Words and music by Bob Hartman
Star Song Records, 1986.

Hearts are failing left and right
Children fear this planet’s plight
Fatalistic fears abound
And take their toll without a sound
But through the vague uncertainty – comes a bold assurity
This world is under sovereignty – divinely ordered destiny
He holds this world together with the Word of His power
Safe within His hands – til its own appointed hour

(Chorus)
He’s still got the whole world in His hands – tonight
And only He knows where the sparrow lands – tonight
And nothing in this world can stop His plans – tonight
‘Cause He’s still got the whole world in His hands
In His hands tonight

Humanistic lies lament
The holocaust is imminent
Doomsday prophets in the news
Predicting who will light the fuse
The fate of His creation isn’t subject to a man
The final consummation is according to His plan

And He’s still got the whole world in His hands – tonight
And only He knows where the sparrow lands – tonight
And nothing in this world can stop His plans – tonight
‘Cause He’s still got the whole world in His hands
In His hands tonight

He’s still got you – He’s still got me in His hands tonight

In Jesus’ Own Words

Tags

Gospel of Matthew, Issues, Love

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 35-40 NIV)

There’s been a lot of banter going on in America lately about Christianity and Jesus, like, more than usual. It kind of kicked off a couple of weeks ago when a certain Republican presidential candidate managed to “convince” a number of “evangelical” “leaders” that he really loves Jesus a whole lot, loves the Bible a whole lot, and tries to live by it a whole lot. This prompted Conservative Evangelical Blow-hard in chief James Dobson to proclaim this candidate a “baby Christian” and say that he had found Jesus.

Look, it’s not for me to judge somebody else’s faith, but since then the candidate has advocated for torture and war crimes, issued a blatantly anti-Semitic attack on his opponent, and openly praised Saddam Hussein. Huh. Well, if one demonstrates their faith by the fruit they bear, what does that say about this “baby Christian?”

It’s really all there in black and white, this Christian thing. It comes right from the mouth of Jesus himself. If you have one of those fancy-schmancy red letter Bibles you’ll see that the words that I quoted above are written in red, denoting that they are actual words of Jesus. He makes it simple really. One of the teachers of the law asked Jesus which commandment was the most important in the law. So keep in mind that you’ve got not only the Ten Commandments, but all those other 600+ regulations as outlined in the law of Moses as well.

Jesus boils it all down to two commandments. First, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.” Second, which he says is like it, is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He says that all the law and all of the prophets, everything that came before him, hangs on these two commandments.

Simple. Little. Equation.

Or is it that simple? After all, we Christians have spent the last 2,000 years developing these complex theological theories and systems. These are then used to judge important topics like “What’s a sin and what isn’t?” and “Who goes to heaven and who goes to HELL?”

Did you ever notice that the people your congregation, group, or denomination says are going to HELL are the people that are different than your group? Also, where in those two commandments does Jesus say that we are to judge the sin of others?

For me, Christianity in America is about defining who isn’t our neighbor so we don’t have to love them. Then we can conveniently banish them to HELL. Everybody has their own little group that they decide are different or sinful so they can get out of that second commandment that Jesus said. For some Christians it’s LGBTQI people. For others, it’s women who have had an abortion or a doctor that performs an abortion. For some it’s people of another faith whether Hindu, Muslim, Mormon, Jewish, whatever. For some it’s atheists and agnostics. For others it’s refugees that are fleeing war and violence or immigrants trying to build a better life for them and their family. There’s always a villain. always an “other.”

Thing is, the “others” are our neighbors as well. Jesus isn’t just talking about the people next door to you, or just the people in your group. News flash: he’s talking about EVERYBODY. Earlier in Matthew he even says you have to love your ENEMIES, not just people who have mild disagreements with you. Ponder that for a minute. Jesus calls not only to love those who agree with us (which is easy) but also people who don’t agree with us (which starts to get uncomfortable) and even people who might be actively trying to hurt us (which is really hard to swallow.)

Over the years we’ve come up with a ton of little ways to make it seem like Jesus doesn’t really mean what he said, but what if he did? That would certainly be a radical kind of love not found anywhere else on Earth. What if we as Christians actually practiced that? What if instead of judging others and finding excuses not to love them, we actually came alongside others and found reasons TO LOVE THEM? I’d dare say that would change the world.

I’m sorry, but what people like Trump and Dobson are peddling isn’t really Christianity. It’s some civil “religion” that hybridizes the most fundamentalist, conservative Christian ideologies with a radical right wing political agenda. How can it be considered Christian when it tramples on the very people Jesus sought to reach: the poor, the homeless, the sick, and the outcast?

Years ago, issues like this caused me to leave the church and write Jesus off. But you know what? Jesus didn’t give up on me even though I gave up on him. I don’t think he’s ready to give up on us here in the USA either. What is commonly called Christianity here is dying, and that’s unmistakable. However, there are movements afoot to go back to these core teachings of Christ. I see it in the eyes of my adult Sunday school class every Sunday morning. I see it in the wealth of Christian books and blogs that are calling attention to these issues. I see it in the eyes of my friends and coworkers who aren’t Christian when they realize that not all of us are uberjudgmental pricks.

Jesus made it easy for us in his own words: Love God, Love neighbor. If we stick to those keys, we just might see something new and beautiful rise from the ugly ashes of the anger, rancor, and hate that “Christians” seem to spew everyday.

It’s a big undertaking, but nothing is too big for God. I pray that He will work in each one of us to make it so.